Didn't capture my attention and engagement. Interested in trying it again though and hopefully it will take.

Presumed Guilty should be a must read for everyone. It details how the Supreme Court has eroded the rights that many thing are given to us by the Constitution. It also goes into how the interpretation of the Constitution has changed since its inception. Many of the provisions of the Constitution were once thought by the Justices to only apply to federal matters. It also talks about how policing as we know it today has evolved from fugitive slave laws and their enforcement. The journey of our jurisprudence has been interesting.

After reading this book I feel much better informed about the Supreme Court, their decisions, and policing in the United States. I highly recommend this book to everyone and it should be at the top of your list of best books of they year when you read it. The information is easy to understand and presented in an organized fashion. There are many events and examples that make the content relatable.

Thank you to NetGalley and WW Norton for the ARC of this book. #PresumedGuilty #NetGalley

Presumed Guilty is a must-read and provides very important context regarding crucial Supreme Court decisions and how these decisions have perpetuated systemic racism, especially via policing. He writes about these cases in a very understandable way and the way he is able to link together the history of these cases, helps to bring into clear focus the problems of policing. He also shades important nuance to past court eras that have otherwise been overly simplified as bad/good by too many.

We interviewed him for the The Curiosity Hour Podcast (episode 194) and he was able to talk about process of creating the book and explain some key court cases from the book. We also asked him his thoughts on some other contemporary issues. He is as fascinating to listen to as he is to read and we enjoyed the discussion with him:
https://soundcloud.com/thecuriosityhourpodcast/s10-e194-erwin-chemerinsky-jd
(also available free on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Soundcloud, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Podbean, Overcast, PlayerFM, Castbox, and Pocket Casts).

Note: I voluntarily requested, read, and reviewed this book. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sending me a temporary digital advance reading copy/advance review (ARC) galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, my opinions are my own and do not represent my co-host or the podcast. I request, read, and review many books prior to publication to explore possible future guests for the podcast. I wish we could interview the author of every one of these books because I'm so impressed by the creativity, thoughtfulness, and wisdom shared through the temporary books I get through NetGalley.

The Supreme Court has not issued a holding that limits police power in decades. Quite the opposite, it has continuously expanded the ability of police officers to act with impunity, repeatedly violating the constitutional rights of their victims with no consequences whatsoever. Furthermore, the Court has consciously ignored the effect their rulings have on people of color, despite the widely available data amassed over the years confirming the use of racial profiling among police officers.

In Presumed Guilty, Chemerinsky demonstrates how the Warren Court was the last to have any true consideration for the rights of criminal defendants and how the conservative Counts since have consistently eroded the rights of those on trial. He cites numerous cases to support his assertion that the Supreme Court not only does nothing to address racial profiling, but goes above and beyond to encourage the practice.

I really enjoyed reading this book. In 2017, National Jurist magazine named Chemerinsky the most influential person in legal education in the United States. He is a law school legend and I was thrilled to review this book.

I absolutely recommend this book. Well-researched and thought-provoking, it should be required reading for law students, especially those focusing on criminal law.

Scheduled for publication in August 2021, I encourage you to pick this one up and do your part in educating yourself.

Thanks to Erwin Chemerinsky, W. W. Norton and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.